


Ready... Set... Play!

by ClagJanetSMK



Series: A Pandemic Alphabet [18]
Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: 2020 Lockdown Stories, Christmas if you squint, F/M, Friendship, Games, Humor, R is for Rock-Scissors-Paper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:46:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClagJanetSMK/pseuds/ClagJanetSMK
Summary: Billy and Francine find Lee and Amanda playing games in the Q Bureau. As usual.
Relationships: Amanda King/Lee Stetson
Series: A Pandemic Alphabet [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031118
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Ready... Set... Play!

"I didn't say that! I said we need to find a way to settle it that was a game of chance and not skill!"

"But this isn't a game of skill!"

"Well, of course it is!"

Billy could hear them arguing as soon as he opened the door to the hallway leading to the Q. He grinned at Francine as he ushered her past him, while she rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"What did I tell you?" she murmured as they walked down the hall.

"I hope you don't think I'm surprised," Billy chuckled. "After all these years, I'm only surprised when Lee wins."

"How on earth is it a game of skill?" Lee was demanding as they walked in. "Unless your skill is mindreading?"

"It's not skill, it's logic!" argued Amanda. "Oh hello, Sir, Francine." She beamed at them from her perch on the edge of Lee's desk.

Lee paused in his pacing and whirled to greet them. "And it doesn't matter anyway," he said triumphantly "because Billy can decide!"

"Decide what?" asked Francine. "Which one of you is being more infantile?"

Lee bent an exasperated look at her. "He can decide which of us gets to take point on Archer."

"Why do I need to decide?" queried Billy. "You're both qualified agents and partners. You should be working that out between the two of you."

"Well, we can't," said Lee. "Because someone won't even agree to a fair game of chance to decide it!"

"This is how you conduct yourselves?" asked Billy. "Deciding cases with children's games?"

"Oh no, Sir!" exclaimed Amanda immediately. "Normally it's obvious who should do what when we go into a case, but since we're disagreeing on the approach, we decided that we should use an impartial game to decide." She rolled her eyes at Lee.

Lee picked up the story. "And then that person would take lead and we'd try his approach."

"Or hers," Francine said with a narrow look.

"Or hers," agreed Amanda, eyes twinkling. "But I think it needs to be a true game of chance and everything Lee has suggested isn't."

"You couldn't just flip a coin?" asked Billy.

Lee and Amanda exchanged a look.

"We don't use that one anymore," explained Amanda

"Because she cheats," muttered Lee.

Amanda opened her mouth to protest, then subsided when he grinned at her.

"Tic-tac-toe?" said Francine thoughtfully. "No, no, never mind – you'd just keep playing to a draw."

They both nodded.

"Dice? High card draw?" asked Billy.

"Those would both be good, but we don't have any dice or cards up here," said Amanda.

"So I suggested Rock-Paper-Scissors," interjected Lee.

"And I said that's not a game of chance," said Amanda. "And that's where you came in," she added.

"How can that not be a game of chance?" asked Billy.

"That's exactly what I said!" Lee threw his hands up in the air.

Francine and Amanda exchanged an amused glance.

"Well, Amanda," said Francine. "If you really want to take point on this one and Lee really believes it's a game of chance, why don't you just go along with him?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair!" argued Amanda. "I think he should have an equal chance of winning."

"Oh, for Pete's sake," said Billy. "Fine, I'll decide." His wide grin cracked open. "And I decide that you should play Rock-Paper-Scissors." Off Amanda's look, he shrugged his shoulders. "I want to see how this plays out. And either way, one of you gets to take point."

"Ha!" Lee jabbed a finger at Amanda. "I knew you'd see it my way, Billy!"

"I'm not entirely sure I do," grinned Billy. "But I think I'm going to enjoy watching."

"Fine," sighed Amanda. "One game? No double or nothing? No do-overs?"

"Oh good God, we're in kindergarten again," muttered Francine. "Just clean his clock and let's get on with our lives, Amanda."

Amanda gave her a small smile. "Okay," she said, turning to Lee and squaring her shoulders. She raised a fist and gave him a pointed look. "You ready?"

"Born ready," he said cockily, holding up his fist.

"Okay, on three," she said. "One. Two… Three."

As she spoke, they both threw their hands down, Lee's still in a fist and Amanda's flat out.

"Paper covers rock," she said, laying her hand over his. "I win."

Lee stared down at their hands in disbelief. "I guess you do." He pulled his hand away and straightened up, looking miffed. "But it was still chance."

"Wanna play me?" Francine asked, eyes dancing.

"Fine." Lee waited for her to make a fist. "One, two three… Oh for crying out loud!"

Francine slapped her hand on his fist. "Paper covers Rock. I guess I get to work this Archer case with Amanda now."

"Sounds good to me," said Billy, his laughter causing a slight wheeze in his voice. "Scarecrow can help me with the rookie paperwork."

Lee turned back to Amanda with a panicked look. "Play me again," he urged.

"Uhn-uhn," said Amanda. "You agreed no do-overs."

"Not for the case," said Lee. "For my dignity."

She gave a theatrical sigh. "If you say so. Ready?"

She lifted her hand. Lee nodded. "One. Two. Three… Rock smashes Scissors and I win again."

Lee stared in disbelief at the fist she was holding out. "How did you do that?"

"She's a witch," deadpanned Francine.

"Hey!" said Lee, turning to defend Amanda.

"No, fair's fair," grinned Amanda. "I called her a witch once too."

The two women exchanged conspiratorial smiles while Billy and Lee looked confused.

"Friendly name-calling aside, would you care to let us in on the secret, Amanda?" asked Billy.

"It's just probability, Sir. Jamie explained it to me – he learned it in his math club and at first, I thought it sounded silly but he beats Phillip pretty much every time. It drives Phillip crazy but Jamie's never told him how it works. And you wouldn't think that it would work with adults, but it really does."

"Amanda?" Bill interrupted. "The secret?"

"Oh! Yes, well, like I said probability and human nature. Most people think in terms of strength and so the first thing they try is the thing they think is strongest, so they pick Rock," she shrugged.

Lee and Billy pondered that in silence for a moment.

"But you beat me on the second round too," said Lee.

"Well, that's where the psychology part really comes in. You'd thrown Rock twice and been beaten, so your logical step was to try to beat the thing that beat you, so you went with scissors, and I went with Rock."

"She's right," said Billy. "That shifts the chance element." He gave her a thoughtful look. "Amanda, do you think you could beat anybody playing this?" he asked.

Amanda shrugged. "In a one-off game, yes, most times. Why do you ask?"

"Because if you can win, I can make Saunders up in Crypto wear the Santa suit for the Christmas party."

"Well, I'd certainly be happy to help you with that, Sir. But I just explained how it works. You can do it yourself."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Francine. "It works best if the prey thinks you're harmless! Saunders will never see it coming if you're the one to play him."

"Prey? Harmless?" wondered Lee. "It's a kid's game!"

"I think Francine's right, Scarecrow," said Billy. "Amanda's natural charm will lull him into a false sense of superiority."

"But Sir, what happens if I lose?"

Billy's smile cracked wide open. "I think Scarecrow would make a fine Santa, don't you?"

"Billy!" Lee looked panicked.

"Oh come on, Lee," cajoled Amanda, punching him lightly in the arm. "You know you look cute in a Santa suit – remember that time at Titan Toys?"

"You looked cute. I just looked itchy and uncomfortable." Lee looked at her in despair. "You really think you can beat Saunders?"

Amanda looked at Francine who nodded. "Probably. Like I said, it's not really a game of chance."

"Of course, it is," exclaimed Lee.

"Says the man who just lost twice," sniped Francine with a broad smile. "But I'm not worried – Amanda will definitely win."

"You seem awfully certain of that," said Lee, gazing at her suspiciously.

"Oh, I am," Francine smirked, "If she beats Saunders, she wins, and if you end up in a Santa suit, we all win."

"Oh!" said Amanda. She turned to look at Lee, all wide-eyed innocence. "I hadn't thought of that!"

"Amanda," he replied in a warning tone.

"Shall we go find Saunders right now, Sir?" Amanda turned to Billy, who was barely controlling his laughter.

"You wouldn't!" said Lee, starting to sound worried.

"Why yes, I think I know exactly where he is," said Billy, reaching to open the Q Bureau door and gesturing for her to precede him.

"Amanda!" Lee glared at Francine as she began to laugh.

"I'll be right back," Amanda tossed over her shoulder. "You can start planning how to implement my idea for the case while I go see if I can get this to work again." She waggled her fingers in farewell as she ducked out the door with a huge grin.

"I'd start practicing your ho-ho-hos, Scarecrow," said Francine, beaming from ear to ear. "You know, just in case Glinda the Good lets you down."

"She won't," said Lee trying to sound confident.

"Really? Because that would be a great way to make sure you have to come to the Christmas party." Francine smiled at the sudden comprehension that swept over his face. "People always forget – Glinda was a good witch, but she was still a witch when she needed to be. Look at the way she stole those ruby slippers."

Lee's mouth snapped shut. He sprang for the door, grabbing the doorframe, pivoting around it in a skid in his hurry to chase down the hallway after his partner.

"Amanda! Don't you dare!"

Francine dusted off her hands and clicked her heels together three times with a laugh. "There's no place like home for the holidays."


End file.
